Build up a bike?

[Cataboo]

It can sometimes end up being surprisingly pricey building up a bike - the good thing is that at the end, you have a bike that's made with all comoponents you want, as opposed to a bike you buy and have to swap the stem, handlebars, seat, seatpost, cranks or whatever to something that fits you better... So you usually end up with a bike that has better parts on it than what would come stock. If you go ahead and pay full price for all the parts at a bike shop, they will probably do the labor for free - but that usually is more expensive than just buying a complete bike. If you search around on discount bike websites, ebay, craigslist, etc... you can usually get great deals on new or lightly used parts and will end up paying less to build up a bike with comparable parts...

Just make sure all the parts you get are compatible with the frame you get, so it does take a little bit of knowledge if you're individually collecting the parts - front derailleur clamp sizes have to be specific for the frame, triples require different front & rear derailleurs than doubles, and such like that.

[tzvia]

There are books out there on bike mechanics, how to wrench, repair and adjust. I would suggest reading one if you think you might want to 'roll your own'. At least, it would come in handy to have for minor adjustments and part swaps (replaing worn cassette, for example). I find that I like to wrench my own bikes, it's (usually) relaxing and actually fun. So if you read a bit you can get an idea of what it's about and can use the information to put together a toolkit if you decide to at least do basic maintenance. Trust me, having the right tools makes things so much easier, and it's great to be able to replace cables and adjust the derailleur and brakes.

[jessmarimba]

Thanks for the faith, guys My SO was a lot more positive about that suggestion than I was expecting, too. I'm still going to think about it...I'm mostly afraid I'll end up with a bike that doesn't fit right. Nothing could be much more uncomfortable than my old one, but I need something awesome to convince me to try this again

[uforgot]

Okay, I'm curious. What does your user name mean? I'm asking because I was a music major (percussion) in college. Do you play marimba by chance?

[jessmarimba]

You guessed it I teach percussion for fun, now.

Very cool - I've only run into one other person in the cycling world who knew!

[jessmarimba]

Originally wanted a Kona King Kahuna but was considering a Spot Longboard 9. Kona's got a similar bike I could get once I'm cleared for trails...but I'm kind of enchanted with the Spot right now.

Oh & my friend down your way says there's a weekend group called kickin asphalt, if you were still interested...seems like they're very friendly and open with a wide range of riders. She didn't know anything about classes or instruction though.

[Cataboo]

Oh - you're talking about building up a mountain bike... all I can say is that forks can be very expensive.